Monday, September 08, 2008

InteGRITy vs CON-job

The first full day of campaigning and the Conservatives have wasted no time putting more lies out there and of course, more childish attack ads.

This only one day after Harper suggested that the campaign would get dirty and nasty. He knew that of course because that's what they had planned.

Their new ads and Harper himself said that Dion said he would raise the GST and take away the $100.00/child cheque. Lies.

When told that Dion has responded at a press conference today Harper said that Dion's denial is not credible because he (Dion) voted against both policies in the House. Yep, you read that right. Because he opposed the policy, to a Conservative automatically translates to 'he'll reverse the decision', even if Dion on many occasions has said clearly he will NOT raise the GST, nor will he eliminate the Child Care (cough) benefit.

Did the lies stop there? Of course not. More distortion about the Green Shift and finally his ridiculous assertion that Elizabeth May should not be included in the debates because she's a Liberal. Harper obviously forgets that the PC's and the Liberals did not run against him when he became leader, but he uses the fact that the Lib's aren't running anyone against May to call her a Lib.

Then the icing on the cake. Harper was asked if he would abide by Election Canada's laws on spending and not use the In and Out scheme. He said he'd abide by the rules as they have be laid out for this election just as he did last time. That sounds like a yes to me. Moreover, I've heard that Poillievre was shooting off his mouth at a church picnic about the In and Out scheme. He was asked if the party would use the practice again and he apparently replied 'sure we should It worked last time. It's legal after all'. Now, that's hearsay so take it for what it's worth, but I think the question should continue to be asked.

This really is coming down to integrity and honesty. A leader who lies is not a leader at all. He's dangerous.

Update - They, (read Harper) are keeping May out of the debate. Whether or not you wanted her in because of how she may effect your candidate, this is wrong. The consortium is saying there would be no debate if she were included because others would back out. Well the only one who has alluded to doing that was Harper. What a coward.

I, too, heard that answer from Harper when asked about the In & Out Scheme. My response was the same as yours: He's gonna do it again! So they are going to do like last time & buy the election? I sure hope not. If so they should sit in jail afterwards.

Ignatieff calls for 'carbon tax' Vancouver SunAugust 21, 2006'...Ignatieff, the race front-runner who will unveil his full plan in Vancouver today, is proposing a boost in the GST and excise taxes for regular gas and a concurrent tax cut for cleaner fuels made from agricultural products, like ethanol...

Ignatieff, according to a copy of his eight-page proposal provided to The Sun, will throw up the white flag on Canada's commitment under the Kyoto Accord, to reduce emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels, by the year 2012.

Shortly thereafter he came out and said that the Liberal party would not increase it. In fact, he's said that for about a year now.

Having a selective memory is not a sign of a strong leader. It's the sign of a strong liar. Having minions suffering from the same affliction is a sign of a strong need to win an election by CONning Canadians.

Everyday you lie, it will be pointed out. Credibility is being played out here and the Con's integrity is doing the proverbial swirl to the sewer systems across the country.

wilson, I know you guys don't believe in Evolution, but do you not evolve in your own thought processes?

You know what I mean right? New information brings forward new thinking.

Listen, the more you keep bringing up old quotes that people have since, publically, distanced themselves from, the more you set yourselves up to have old Harper quotes being brought up. Quotes incidentally that he has not distanced himself from.

In 2006 the Liberals had a campaign of attack. After awhile they began to run out of new material so they started digging up old quotes from Mr. Harper from the 90s and before.

It went over very well. If the Conservative plan is to continually attack for the next 5 weeks it is really going to be interesting to hear them bring up some of the quotes from Mr. Dion, Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Rae, et al from their time in elementary school.

As did I. I was, in a smart-arse way, saying what KNB said later: the Libs need to attack Harper intelligently, working with reasonable extrapolations from his stated views and governing style rather than with the "hidden agenda" caricature (as Harper's agenda has never been "hidden", and he's been quite adept at implementing it incrementally and making it look non-threatening).

By the way KNB, if you watched CBC tonight you would have seen Linda Duncan on the news - she was the one on Jack's plane detailing the environmental damage caused by the tar sands. The Journal today also printed an article saying she was the best chance to take this riding from Jaffer.